984 


UC-NRLF 


51    351 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS 
OF  CHRISTMASTIDE 


BY 


BERTHA   F.  HERRICK 

n 


SAN  FRANCISCO 
PRINTED  BY  THE  STANLEY-TAYLOR  COMPANY 

1901 


The  following  article  originally  appeared 
in  one  of  the  Christmas  editions  of  the 
San  Francisco  Chronicle  and  is  now  re- 
printed by  permission  from  that  journal. 


MYTHS   AND    LEGENDS    OF 
CHRISTMASTIDE 

"  Lo !  now  is  come  our  joyful'st  feast, 
Let  every  man  be  jolly. 
Each  room  with  ivy  leaves  is  drest, 
And  every-  post  with  holly. 
Now  all  our  neighbors'  chimneys  smoke, 
And  Christmas  blocks  are  burning ; 
Their  ovens  they  with  bak't  meats  choke, 
And  all  their  spits  are  turning." 

The  celebration  of  Christmas,  which  was  con- 
sidered by  the  Puritans  to  be  idolatrous,  has  for  many 
centuries  been  so  universal  that  it  may  prove  of  inter- 
est to  contrast  the  rites,  ceremonies  and  quaint  beliefs 
of  foreign  lands  with  those  of  matter-of-fact  America. 

Many  curious  customs  live  only  in  tradition  ;  but  it 
is  surprising  to  find  what  singular  superstitions  still 
exist  among  credulous  classes,  even  in  the  light  of  the 
twentieth  century. 

In  certain  parts  of  England  the  peasantry  formerly 
asserted  that,  on  the  anniversary  of  the  Nativity,  oxen 
knelt  in  their  stalls  at  midnight, —  the  supposed  hour 
of  Christ's  birth ;  while  in  other  localities  bees  were 
said  to  sing  in  their  hives  and  subterranean  bells  to 
ring  a  merry  peal. 

3] 


775854 


•  Myths    and   Legends   of  Christmastide 

According  to  legends  of  ancient  Britain  cocks 
crew  lustily  all  night  on  December  24th  to  scare 
away  witches  and  evil  spirits,  and  in  Bavaria  some  of 
the  countrymen  made  frequent  and  apparently  aimless 
trips  in  their  sledges  to  cause  the  hemp  to  grow  thick 
and  tall. 

In  many  lands  there  is  still  expressed  the  beau- 
tiful sentiment  that  the  gates  of  heaven  stand  wide 
open  on  Christmas  Eve,  and  that  he  whose  soul 
takes  flight  during  its  hallowed  hours  arrives  straight- 
way at  the  throne  of  grace. 

A  time-honored  custom  in  Norway  and  Sweden 
is  that  of  fastening  a  sheaf  of  wheat  to  a  long  pole  on 
the  barn  or  house-top,  for  the  wild  birds'  holiday 
cheer ;  and  in  Holland  the  young  men  of  the  towns 
sometimes  bear  a  large  silver  star  through  the  snowy 
streets,  collecting  alms  from  pedestrians  for  the  help- 
less or  the  aged  sick. 

Russia  has  no  Santa  Claus  or  Christmas  tree, 
although  the  festival  is  celebrated  by  church  services 
and  by  ceremonies  similar  to  those  of  our  Hallowe'en. 

In  some  of  the  villages  in  Wales  a  Christmas 
pudding  is  boiled  for  each  of  the  disciples,  with  the 
exception  of  Judas,  and  in  the  rural  districts  of 
Scotland  bread  baked  on  Christmas  Eve  is  said  to 
indefinitely  retain  its  freshness. 

[4 


Myths    and   Legends    of  Christmastide 

"  The  Fatherland  "  is  the  home  of  the  Christmas 
tree,  which  is  thought  to  be  symbolical  of  the  "  Tree 
of  the  Knowledge  of  Good  and  Evil,"  in  the  Garden  of 
Eden ;  and  candles  were  first  used  to  typify  the  power 
of  Christianity  over  the  darkness  of  paganism,  being 
sometimes  arranged  in  triangular  form  to  represent 
the  Trinity. 

Pines  and  firs  being  unattainable  in  the  tropical 
islands  of  the  Pacific,  the  white  residents  sometimes 
cut  down  a  fruit  tree,  such  as  an  orange  or  a  guava, 
or  actually  manufacture  a  tree  from  wood,  covering 
the  bare,  stiff  boughs  with  clinging  vines  of  evergreen. 

In  the  Holy  Land  at  this  season  the  place  of 
greatest  interest  is  naturally  the  Church  of  the  Na- 
tivity at  Bethlehem,  erected  on  the  supposed  location 
where  Christ  was  born.  It  is  said  to  be  the  oldest 
Christian  church  in  existence,  having  been  built  more 
than  fifteen  centuries  ago  by  the  Empress  Helena, 
mother  of  Constantine.  Repairs  were  made  later  by 
Edward  IV  of  England  ;  but  it  is  now  again  fast  falling 
into  decay.  The  roof  was  originally  composed  of 
cedar  of  Lebanon  and  the  walls  were  studded  with 
precious  jewels,  while  numerous  lamps  of  silver  and 
gold  were  suspended  from  the  rafters.  The  Greeks, 
Latins  and  Armenians  now  claim  joint  possession  of 
the  structure,  and  jealously  guard  its  sacred  precincts. 

5] 


Myths   and   Legends   of  Christmas  tide 

Immediately  beneath  the,  nave  of  the  cathedral  is  a 
commodious  marble  chamber,  constructed  over  the 
spot  where  the  far-famed  stable  was  said  to  have  stood 
and  reached  by  a  flight  of  stone  steps,  worn  smooth 
by  the  tread  and  kisses  of  multitudes  of  worshippers. 
The  manger  is  represented  by  a  marble  slab  a 
couple  of  feet  in  height,  decorated  with  tinsel  and  blue 
satin  and  marked  at  the  head  with  a  chiseled  star, 
bearing  above  it  the  inscription  in  Latin,  "Here  was 
Jesus  Christ  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary."  At  the  foot 
are  several  altars,  on  which  incense  is  ever  kept  burn- 
ing and  from  which  mass  is  conducted,  while  a  score 
of  hanging  lamps  shed  a  fitful  light  over  the  apart- 
ment. 

Many  theories  have  been  advanced  as  to  the  ex- 
planation of  the  mysterious  "Star in  the  East"  which 
guided  the  wondering  shepherds,  but  it  is  now  thought 
to  have  been  Venus  at  the  height  of  its  splendor. 

The  early  Christians  decorated  their  churches  with 
evergreens  out  of  respect  to  the  passage  of  Scripture 
in  Isaiah— "The  glory  of  Lebanon  shall  come  unto 
thee ;  the  fir  tree,  the  pine  tree  and  the  box  together  to 
beautify  the  place  of  my  sanctuary  "—and  the  pagans 
believed  them  to  be  omens  of  good,  as  the  spirits  of 
the  woods  remained  in  their  branches. 

Holly  is  known  in  Germany  and  Scandinavia  as 

[6 


Myths    and   Legends    of  Christmastide 

"Christ's  thorn,  "  and  is  emblematic  everywhere  of 
cheerfulness,  forgiveness,  "peace  on  earth  and  good 
will  to  men." 

The  oak  mistletoe  or  "missel"  was  held  in  high 
veneration  by  the  ancient  Druids,  who,  regarding  its 
parasitic  character  as  a  miracle  and  its  evergreen 
nature  as  a  symbol  of  immortality,  worshipped  it  in 
their  temples  and  used  it  as  a  panacea  for  the  physical 
ailments  of  their  followers.  When  the  moon  was  six 
days  old,  the  bunches  were  ceremoniously  cut  with  a 
golden  sickle,  by  the  chief  priest  of  the  order  and  re- 
ceived with  care  into  the  spotless  robes  of  one  of  the 
company,  for  if  they  fell  to  the  unholy  ground,  their 
virtues  were  considered  lost. 

Then,  crowned  with  oak  leaves  and  singing  songs 
of  thanksgiving,  they  bore  the  branches  in  solemn  pro- 
cession to  the  altars,  where  two  white  oxen  were 
sacrificed  to  the  gods. 

The  custom  of  "kissing  under  the  mistletoe"  dates 
back  to  the  days  of  Scandinavian  mythology,  when  the 
god  of  darkness  shot  his  rival,  the  immortal  Apollo  of 
the  North,  with  an  arrow  made  from  its  boughs.  But 
the  supposed  victim  being  miraculously  restored  to  life, 
the  mistletoe  was  given  into  the  keeping  of  the  god- 
dess of  affection,  as  a  symbol  of  love  and  not  of  death, 
to  those  who  passed  beneath  it.  A  berry  was  required 

7] 


Myths    and  Legends    of  Chrlstmastide 

to  be  picked  with  every  kiss  and  presented  to  the 
maiden  as  a  sign  of  good  fortune,  the  privilege  ceas- 
ing when  all  the  berries  were  gathered. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  legends  of  the  Black 
Forest,  in  Germany,  is  that  of  the  origin  of  the  chrys- 
anthemum, or  "Christ-flower."  On  a  dark,  stormy 
Christmas  Eve  a  poor  charcoal-burner  was  wending 
his  way  homeward  through  the  deep  snow-drifts  under 
the  pine  trees,  with  a  loaf  of  coarse  black  bread  and  a 
piece  of  goafs-milk  cheese  as  contributions  to  the 
holiday  cheer.  Suddenly,  during  a  brief  lull  in  the 
tempest,  he  heard  a  low,  wailing  cry,  and,  searching 
patiently,  at  length  discovered  a  benumbed  and  half- 
clad  child,  but  little  more  than  an  infant  in  years  or 
size.  Wrapping  him  snugly  in  his  cloak,  he  hurried 
onward  toward  the  humble  cottage  from  which  rays  of 
light  streamed  cheerfully  through  the  uncurtained 
windows.  The  good  "hausmutter"  sat  before  the 
fire  with  her  little  ones  anxiously  awaiting  her 
husband's  return  ;  and  when  the  poor,  frozen  waif 
was  placed  upon  her  knee,  her  heart  overflowed  with 
compassion,  and  before  long  he  was  comfortably 
warmed  and  fed,  while  the  children  vied  with  each 
other  in  displaying  the  attractions  of  the  pretty  fir  tree, 
with  its  tiny  colored  tapers  and  paper  ornaments. 

All  at  once  a  mist  appeared,  enveloping  the  timid 

[8 


Myths    and   Legends    of  Christmastide 

stranger,  a  halo  formed  around  his  brow  and  two 
silvery  wings  sprang  magically  from  his  shoulders. 
Gradually  rising,  higher  and  higher,  he  finally  dis- 
appeared from  sight,  his  hands  outspread  in  benedic- 
tion, while  the  terror-stricken  family  fell  upon  their 
knees,  crossing  themselves,  and  murmuring  in  awe- 
struck whispers,  "  The  Holy  Christ-Child!" 

The  next  morning  the  father  found,  on  the  bleak, 
cold  spot  where  the  child  had  lain,  a  lovely  blossom  of 
dazzling  white,  which  he  bore  reverently  homeward 
and  named  the  chrysanthemum,. or  "  flower  of  Christ," 
and  each  succeeding  festival  season  some  starved  and 
neglected  orphan  was  bidden  to  his  frugal  board  in 
memory  of  the  time  when  he  entertained  "an  angel 
unawares." 

In  "Merrie  England"  Christmas  was  the  chief 
event  of  the  entire  year,  and  was  sometimes  cele- 
brated for  nearly  a  month.  The  tables  of  the  wealthy 
literally  groaned  with  plenty,  but  the  poor  without 
their  gates  were  not  forgotten,  for  — 

"  Old  Christmas  had  come  for  to  keep  open  house, 
He'd  scorn  to  be  guilty  of  starving  a  mouse." 

During  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  the  boar's  head  was 
the  favorite  holiday  dish,  and  was  served  with  mustard 


(then  a  rare  and  costly  condiment),  and  decorated 
with  bay-leaves  and  with  rosemary,  which  was  said 

9] 


Myths    and   Legends    of  Christmastide 

to  strengthen  the  memory,  to  clear  the  brain  and  to 
stimulate  affection.  Boars  were  originally  sacrificed 
to  the  Scandinavian  gods  of  peace  and  plenty,  and 
many  odes  were  composed  in  their  honor. 

That  remarkable  compound  known  as  "wassail  " 
was  composed  of  warm  ale  or  wine,  sweetened  with 
sugar  and  flavored  with  spices,  and  bearing  upon  its 
surface  floating  bits  of  toast  and  roasted  crabs  and 
apples.  The  huge  bowl,  gaily  decorated  with  ribbons, 
was  passed  from  hand  to  hand  around  the  table,  each 
guest  taking  a  portion  of  its  contents,  as  a  sign  of 
joviality  and  good-fellowship. 

But  the  triumph  of  the  pastry  cook's  art  was  "  the 
rare  minced  pie,"  the  use  of  which  is  of  great  an- 
tiquity. The  shape  was  formerly  a  narrow  oblong, 
representing  the  celebrated  manger  at  Bethlehem,  and 
the  fruits  and  spices  of  which  it  was  composed  were 
symbolic  of  those  that  the  wise  men  of  the  Orient 
brought  as  offerings  to  their  new-born  King,  while  to 
partake  of  such  a  pie  was  considered  a  proof  that  the 
eater  was  a  Christian  and  not  a  Jew. 

All  sorts  of  games  were  immensely  popular  with 
the  English,  whether  king  or  serf,  aristocrat  or  pauper, 
merchant  or  apprentice. 


A  Christmas  gambol  oft  could  cheer 

The  poor  man's  heart  thro'  half  the  year." 


[10 


Myths    and   Legends    of  Christmastide 

Every  one  has  heard  of  the  matchless  "Lord  of 
Misrule"  (also  known  as  the  "Abbot  of  Unreason" 
and  the  "  Master  of  Merry  Disports  "),  who,  attended 
by  his  mock  court,  king's  jester  and  grotesquely 
masked  revelers,  visited  the  castles  of  lords  and 
princes  to  entertain  them  with  strange  antics  and 
uproarious  merriment.  His  reign  lasted  until  Twelfth 
Night,  during  which  period  he  was  treated  as  became 
a  genuine  monarch,  being  feted  and  feasted,  with  all 
his  train,  and  having  absolute  authority  over  individu- 
als and  state  affairs. 

The  great  event  of  the  evening,  after  the  holiday 
feast,  was  the  bringing  in  of  the  famous  yule  log, 
which  was  often  the  entire  root  of  a  tree.  Much  cere- 
mony and  rejoicing  attended  this  performance,  as  it 
was  considered  lucky  to  help  pull  the  rope.  It  was 
lighted  by  a  person  with  freshly  washed  hands,  with  a 
brand  saved  from  the  last  year's  fire,  and  was  never 
allowed  to  be  extinguished,  as  the  witches  would  then 
come  down  the  chimney. 

The  presence  of  a  barefooted  or  cross-eyed  indi- 
vidual or  of  a  woman  with  flat  feet  was  thought  to 
foretell  misfortune  for  the  coming  year. 

The  games  of  "snap  dragon  "  and  "hot  cockles  " 
are  supposed  to  be  relics  either  of  the  ' '  ordeal  by 
fire"  or  of  the  days  of  the  ancient  fire-worshippers. 


Myths    and   Legends    of  Christmastide 

The  former  consists  of  snatching  raisins  from  a  bowl 
of  burning  brandy  or  alcohol,  and  the  latter  of  taking 
frantic  bites  at  a  red  apple  revolving  rapidly  upon  a 
pivot  in  alternation  with  a  lighted  taper. 

Christmas  carols  are  commemorative  of  the  angels' 
song  to  the  shepherds  on  the  plains  of  Bethlehem,  and 
are  seldom  heard  in  America  save  by  the  surpliced 
choirs  of  the  Episcopal  churches.  The  English 
"  waits,"  or  serenaders,  who  sang  under  the  squires' 
windows  in  hopes  of  receiving  a  "Christmas  box," 
unconsciously  add  a  touch  of  romance  and  pictur- 
esqueness  to  the  associations  of  the  season.  For 
upon  the  frosty  evening  air  arose  such  strains  as  — 

"  Awake  !  glad  heart !  arise  and  sing  ! 
It  is  the  birthday  of  thy  King  !  " 

Or  — 

"  God  rest  you,  merry  gentlemen  ! 
Let  nothing  you  dismay, 
For  Jesus  Christ,  our  Savior, 
Was  born  upon  this  day." 

Most  of  the  old-time  favorites  are  too  well  known 
for  repetition.  The  mere  mention  of  their  names 
recalls  the  scent  of  evergreens,  the  pealing  of  the 
organ,  the  tinkle  of  sleigh  bells  and  the  music  of 
the  Christmas  chimes.  "Hark!  The  herald  angels 
sing!"  "  While  shepherds  watched  their  flocks  by 
night,"  "  Gloria  in  Excelsis  "  and  many  others  embody 


Myths    and   Legends    of  Ghristmastide 

the  very  spirit  of  the  season,  and  will  live  till  time  shall 
cease  to  be. 

"  Sing  the  song  of  great  joy  that  the  angels  began, 
Sing  of  glory  to  God  and  of  good  will  to  man ! 
While  joining  in  chorus, 
The  heavens  bend  o'er  us, 
The  dark  night  is  ending  and  dawn  has  begun." 

—  BERTHA  F.  HERRICK. 


•3] 


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